Firstly, well done for the activity held last Sunday at The Monte Cristo Estate; I hope that Appogg raised a good amount for their charity. However, I was appalled by the state of the stage where the dancers were performing as the rough concrete was detrimental to the dancers who had floor work included in their dances. Also, there was a large puddle of water, and the poor dancers either carried on and got wet or tried to avoid it, which made their performance look not so good. One dancer damaged her costume and her shoes were spoilt. Entertainment has improved with regard to sound and lighting since I first came to Malta in 1967, with excellent lighting and also money spent on sound and microphones.

However, when it comes to dancing “anything goes” and we are definitely in the 1950s.  It doesn’t seem to matter if there are:

·        Uneven wood surfaces, often not even attached to the stage properly, so that if you jump (something you do when you dance), the piece of wood the dancer is standing on goes up and down;

·        Carpets (sometimes with a mountain effect);

·        Wires from speakers, cameras microphones etc;

·        Uneven concrete usually dirty (sometimes with broken glass), which often ruins expensive dance shoes and costumes if there is any floor work.

Many parents pay money for their children to learn some form of dance (unfortunately not always with qualified teachers but that is another story) which they often carry on into their adult lives. Bad stages can ruin the feet of a dancer, as has happened to several of my pupils and in one case lost her the opportunity of performing abroad. Could we have a little respect for dancers not just treat them as if they are second-rate artists. This way we might get better performances at charitable and public events, as many dancers do not wish to perform on bad stages.

Lastly, while waiting is part of a performer’s life, a running order and time schedule, something many organisers do not have or give to the performers before the event if at all, helps to keep performers (not only dancers) happy.

Pippa Roberts

President

Malta Wheelchair Dance Association